Can you please describe what a contraction feels like?

[marthamay]

Hi there,

There must be some other first time mums out there like me who have no idea what a real contraction feels like! I am close to my due date and really curious now.

I would be really interested if those with more childbirth experience could describe what they feel like...

?????

Thanks!

Thing is Ryoko, you wont have had any period pains at all for 9 months (ish) - so when you start having them (mild or bad) at the end of a pregnancy you can be pretty certain they are labour-related . If in doubt, contact your MW/hospital sooner rather than later and they will help you work out what is happening. But honestly, I don't think you'll miss them.

Waters breaking aren't reliable, sometimes they go days in advance, sometimes not until the baby is minutes from birth (some babies are even born with their waters intact).
The show may be obvious - but equally you could miss it.

Other signs are having an upset tummy, feeling restless and unable to settle or having a really expensive night out planned.

I've already been getting period like pains, I'm 36 weeks gone but I only get a dull pain every few days or so, nothing I would call regular, I've taken it to be a practice contraction, back painI've had on and off for months, my bump is really tight and has been for the last couple of weeks, when it kicks it hurts more often then not and when it moves it's feeling really uncomfortable.

I feel like I'm going to pop any min, I've had trouble sleeping for ages (keep feeling like I need a wee) and unfortunately I've been getting hart burn many times a day from pretty much the get go.

I'm not actually frightened about labour, I am more worried about my other half not being there because he works a long commute away (over two hours if the trains are working ok).

I remember thinking this with my dd I thought how will I know if it's really a contraction? For me I knew straight away what was going on-I jumped out of bed.

All this talk about it being like a period pain gave me the impression it would be a kind of vague ache that I might miss. For me at least this was not the case.

If in doubt give the mw a ring.

Good luck with your baby I'm sure you will know

for me it was more quite uncomfortable than painful. I don't recall any pain - just intense discomfort, and then it passes. And annoying as they don't stop - so its very uncomfortable & relentless.

It felt to me like something was expanding and changing - which was what was happening. it did take forever though (30 hours contractions!)

GOOD LUCK!

Like really bad period pain, it builds up but for me there was only c.10 seconds at the height of each contraction where it really hurt badly, and I found heavy breathing and counting really helped. I.e. thinking that by the time I'd counted slowly to 15, the pain would be getting less. What I found hadn't been stressed enough is that it doesn't hurt between contractions, so you do get a break. I kept refusing pain relief (pethidine - didn't get on with gas and air) because I wanted to 'save' it until the pain got really bad and unbearable, was quite nice when the midwife said this was pretty much as bad as it got! (Although, in the least helpful comment ever, she said the pushing stage was 'like someone holding a lighter to you' - bizarre - and it wasn't at all!!). Good luck, best approach is to expect it to hurt, take the pain relief if you want to, and go with the pain rather than fighting it (if that makes sense ).

At first it's kind of a comforting pain (odd I know, but I was huuuuge and could not wait for things to get going). It was a pro-active pain - tightening, untightening in waves. Pretty exciting.

Then they had to break my waters, which made them more intense, but, manageable with no pain relief.

Then they started poking around inside of me trying to monitor baby's oxygen etc etc and irritated my womb.

Raging waves of pain, over and over. And when they stopped you could anticipate the next one building again, which left me with this fear of them. I managed 4 hours with no pain relief though, two more on gas and air and then after I begged midwife to tell me how much longer this would last, she told me she had no idea. Great!

Thus I went for epidural. Thankful I did as son was born 24 hours later!!

OK, I had an induction (no gel or pessaries) as they decided they had to get things started PDQ. So I was straight onto a drip. The contractions started very quickly and were very intense. My DS was back to back, so all the pain was in by back. It felt like really strong period pains. G & A was brilliant. I had an epi after 6 hours though, so couldn't feel the rest. Then a section.

Hope that helps a little bit! FWIW, Everyones experiences are different, so it is difficult for anyone to describe what it will feel like IYSWIM. I have frinds who have given birth with no pain relief, and others that have had everythign under the sun, so I would say play it by ear and see how you feel. Be prepared for your birth plan to change (or be thrown in the bin as it was in my case!) and just focus on having a healthy baby and a safe you at the end of it all. :-) Hope everything goes well.

Managed 2 labours on just G&T G&A and can honestly say I didn't pass out.

First labour was the worst and longest - but that's because my head wanted to tell my body what to do. You just can't fight the pain, you have to go with it and know that there is a start, middle and end to each 'wave'.

Second labour - contractions were just a few minutes apart before I felt I needed any pain relief and I'd pushed dd2 out 15 minutes after getting to hospital

Both labours started like a backache that came and went, and later on it went round the front, and later still felt like an excruciating poo

However the 2nd time around, I realised that just as a contraction was fading, I could feel my body pushing the baby out by itself - so that's when I concentrated my own pushing efforts to help it along, rather than doing it when the contraction was at a peak. Result: Much less pain, no stitches and an all round easier birth.

Har har getorf you numpty!!

In my case of back labour, it felt like my coccyx was being pulled on, and some sciatica like pains in lower back and legs.

Gas and air was a marvel though.

It was like someone had an enormous clamp around my stomach and were pressing it in really really hard.

Then later it felt like someone had a crowbar and was using it to wrench my cervix open.

Lots of fun! (I managed on just g&a but it was the worst pain ever!)

I used a tens machine for the first 24 hours, and then a pool for the second- the hot water was absolutely heaven and made the whole thing bearable. I had done some hynobirth training which though in many ways, tells you lies (it does NOT take away the pain!) it does come in useful as you are trained to remember to breathe, that it is natural, not to panic, and most importantly that each contraction will end, and as it does brings you closer to your baby.
By day 3 I was hallucinating that men in historic dress were bringing new styles of contractions round in a box. But I am the only person I know who has experienced this level of weirdness so don't worry! Baby popped out (that bit walk in the park compared to the rest) naturally at the end of 3rd day, all parties totally euphoric. Am desperate to do it again!
Good LUCK all those first time pushers xxx

Going over speed bumps really fast - woh-ho! Can feel like a tightening of the muscles (which is what it is).

As every one else says "intense" gripping and all consuming for that time that they are there.
Its like a band around your groin, abdomen and back getting tighter and tighter and tighter, discomfort leading into pain leading into extreme pain, then it goes off.

Gas and air helps ALLOT
Personally i couldnt move or walk when they hit, i was literally paralised on the spot.

Also, you kind of get into the swing of them, know when one is coming and for that reason you can anticipate the peak and take in your gas and air to hit you just as the peak hits.

Dont forget though that for every contraction, you are one down and a bit closer to meeting your little one....you have waited long enough

I didn't even notice my early contractions. I remember the nurse asking me if I felt the contractions and I hadn't. I remember it feeling like nerve pain - a bit like a painful orgasm if you can imagine that.

I did HypnoBirthing - you are shown illustrations of the muscle layers and told how they work, and how being relaxed and calm lets these muscles get on with their job. When you are stressed, you get the pain. It worked for me - not sore, just a slight 'bleurgh' feeling (like speed bumps). I didn't puke though.

I think the only way to describe it is as a 'good' pain if there is such a thing.

I have had bad toothache and a fractured elbow in the past and they were just hellish, unrelenting misery but contractions, even though they hurt like hell, felt like they had a purpose.

It hits you, you sort of get sucked into it body and soul for a minute and then it subsides.

I have two dds. I was lucky to have short labours and both were drug free (not even gas and air)and lived to tell the tale.

I might even do it all again some day

Best of luck.

Ryoko - I used to have period pains like yours. Childbirth in comparison was a doddle - possibly particularly because I'd mastered how to breathe through pain and not panic.

I'd read a book on hypnobirthing but nothing else, but was very relaxed for about 15 hours of labour, with the help of TENS, gas+air, and a pool. Except for the bit when I had to concentrate on paperwork instead on arrival at the hospital and when the mw confirmed I was in active labour I did go 'no shit Sherlock!'

Seems to vary as to whether people think it's more like period pain or trapped wind pain - I had no braxton hicks at all until a couple hours before labour actually started. Someone told me if you're wondering if it's labour, it probably isn't, which is probably a good rule (especially after looking up How to handle an Unexpected Homebirth!)

Hello again everybody! Wow, there is such a wealth of different experiences here, it's AMAZING!!!!!!

I have absolutely loved reading these - you do get the feeling that there is nothing at all that can prepare you for how YOUR body is going to do it....

Thanks so much for sharing, it's so, so useful and interesting.

I can't wait to find out what my experience will be like.

I don't know what a 'normal' contraction feels like as I had a very long, intense back labour and couldn't feel the uterine contractions.
Am hoping for baby to be in a better position this time, 76 hours of back labour is no fun at all. 8 hours would be lovely thanks very much.

I would second the sensation of tightening and intense pressure around the uterus - for me it was an incredibly painful aching sensation.

I found long deep and controlled breathing enormously helpful, coupled with visualisations. I was thinking of waves lapping a shoreline. The more painful it all got, the more detailed the picture I was creating! I was imagining the water washing over pebbles at one point.

And 'vocalising' was a great release too. Long deep moans worked the best for me. Don't tense up and scream as that makes it worse.

And if you like G&A then use it

Good luck!

xxx

First two--(and big babies)had gas and air and pethidine and forceps (for first one) and thought the world would endhorrendous- but of course it didnt end and the memory does pass

3rd one-epidural, passed out at insertion, came around and 2 newspapers later and a good chat with the midwife and 5 minutes pushing had 3rd sonno comparison so i would say its a very, very individual thing.

I would describe it as a "building up pressure" and a very tight squeezing, personally it seems pretty unmistakeable to me, but i guess again everyones experience is different and I was induced every single time, so i knew what to expect.

First time, my waters broke so had to be induced early, things weren't moving on so had an epidural as seemed to be in for the long haul. So didn't really feel the contractions at all. When the baby crowned the pain was unbelievably shocking. I think this was because I hadn't felt any build up pain with contractions, IYSWIM.

Second pregnancy, woke up in the night with some tightening pains, wondered about them for a bit, puked and emptied my bowels, still wondered a bit ( thought I may have eaten something dodgy ), tried to bear down ( thought I needed a poo, FGS I was 39+6, second preg!!!), got to hospital fully dilated had DD straight away standing up, just got my trousers off. They caught her. Contractions weren't that bad. But it was all over very quickly which I think makes a massive difference. You know when you are tired how pain intensifies.

You can do it. All the best for a great experience.

For me, first time went on for days - started off feeling like trapped wind and slowly got more intense. I started panicking once they'd been going on for a while though and totally lost control, at which point I had an epidural.

Second time also started off feeling like trapped wind, in fact was having such a shit day with my grumpy toddler that I didn't even want to admit to myself, let alone my husband, that I was having contractions for about 5 hours (so obviously not that painful as it would've been written all over my face). They got more intense, and I can't really describe what they feel like later in labour as they felt like nothing else has ever felt like for me.

I second what people are saying about working with the pain and not panicking. One v simple breathing exercise made all the difference for me second time round - through each contraction visualising a rectangle, breathe in, visualise going along the top of the rectangle, breathe out, down the right hand side, breathe in, along the bottom, breathe out, up back to the start, repeat until contraction is over. And long low controlled moans with the breaths out.

As for waters breaking, first time mine were broken for me. Second time they broke about 5 mins before 2nd stage of labour kicked in. Contractions definitely felt more intense after.

Hope it goes well. Try to relax, and just remember it might hurt, but it will end!

(obviously every women experiences it differently) When you are in the beginning of labour, it is similar to braxton hicks, more intense though, then as it progresses, you feel your stomach and uterus contracting very strongly this is painful. Imagine your stomach being squeezed, that's the closest I can get to explaining it. As the labour goes on, the squeezing gets stronger and closer together.

A lot of women wonder 'how do I know when I'm in labour?' including me, but trust me, there is no way you won't know you're in labour.
All I can say is just imagine your beautiful baby in your arms, it's all worth all.

Sorry for rambling.